Trap-door for railway-car platforms.



E. F. CHAFFEE.

TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22,1915. RENEWED OCT- 11,191?- @U6@ Patented Dec,v 4, 1917..

4 SHEETSSHEET 1- WITNESSES ATTORN EYS E. F. C HAFFEE. v TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 22, l9l5| RENEWED OCT. H, 19!]- Patented Dec. 4, 1917".

4 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

E. F. CHAFFEE.

TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CAR PLATFORMS;

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1915. RENEWED OCT. 11.1911.

A fgviifigfiwfim' Patented Dec. 4,1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET. a.

drama- ATTORNEYS E. F- CHAFFEE.

TRAP DOOR EOR-RAILWAYCAR PLATFORMS. I APPLICATION men MAR. 22. 191 5 RENEWED op'r. 11.1911.

\ M I Patentedfim 4,1917.

4 SHEETS -SHEET 4- PATENT UFFTFEW EDWARD F. CHAFFEE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE 0. M. EDWARDS COMPANY, TING, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A GORPORATIONOF YORK.

TRAP-DOOR FOR RAILWAY-CAR PLATFORMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 41L, llFll't,

Application filed. Mar-ch 22. 1915, Serial No. 16,170. Renewed October 11, 1917. Serial No. 196,032.

is readily shiftable axially to project a portion thereof beyond the side of the car and to withdraw the same to its normal position; and the invention consists in the novel combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in

Whichlike characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of one form of this trap door, the contiguous portions of the car structure and the platform being also shown and the floor of the door being shown as projected axially.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the plane of line A--A, F 1, the door being shown as Well- Figs. 3 and 4; are sections taken respectively on the planes of lines BB and CC, Fig. 1. V

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to Flg. 1 of another form of this invention.

' This trap door comprises generally a floor, hinging means by which the door is supported and hinged to the car, and a bracket supporting the floor and being fixed at one end to the hinging means and having its other end slidably interlocked with the floor at the free margin thereof.

1 designates the car platform. 2, 3 des gnate the platform structure on oppos te sides of the platform opening, and a designates the riser of the top step of the platform.

5 is the floor or leaf of the trap door which is hinged to the platform by any suitable means. As here shown, the hinging means includes a barrel 6 which is journaled in'suitable bearings 7 8, supported by the car platform, as will be understoodby those skilled in the art, the barrel havlng therein a torsion spring 9 fixed at one end to one hearing, as 7, and fixed at its other end in any suitable manner to the barrel, the spring being tensioned to normally turn the barrel in such direction as to open the trap door. The spring neans per so forms no part of this invention.

10 is a bracket here shown as having a bearing 11 at one end which is fixed on the barrel, the bracket underlying the floor 5 and having its free end slidably interlocked With the free edge of the floor or leaf 5. As here shown, the bracket is formed with a portion 12 at its free end which extends around the free edge of the floor 5 and laps the upper face of the margin of the floor forming an undercut groove or channel 13 in which the floor 5 slides.

The floor 5 is slidably mounted on the hinging means or barrel 6 and is here shown as formed with hangers 14 having openings 15 which fit the barrel 6, the hangers being secured to the under face of the floor in any suitable manner, as by bolts or rivets 14 and said hangers being split at 15 on one side for facilitating the fitting of the hangers on the barrel 6. By reason of the fact that the hanger openings 'slidably fit the barrel, the floor or leaf is less liable to jam during its axial shifting than when the usual straps are employed.

The free edge of the floor 5 normally rests upon a ledge 16 formed on the end sill 2 of the car platform and this ledge is formed with a suitable notch in which the free end 12 of the bracket normally rests. The door is normally held closed by a spring-pressed latch 17 which coacts with the free end of the bracket and hence does not interfere, with the sliding movement of the floor.

The trap door here illustrated is shown as having an extension or slide 18 at its inner end which slides into and out of a recess 19 at the top of the steps ofthe platform, the slide being for the purpose of bridging the space between the platform and the floor 5 when the floor is projected axially into the position shown in Fig. 1. The slide is coupled to the floor to slide therewith in any suitable manner, as, by buttons 20, which interlock into. correspondingly shaped slots 21 extending inwardly from the lower face of the floor. i

and the bracket having means at its free 22 having a rock arm 23 at its lower end connected by'the link 24 to the rear edge of the slide 18 and having at its upper end a handle lever 25. The handle lever is here shown as pivoted at 26 to the upper end of a the rock shaft 22 and as foldable from its horizontal or operative position into a vert1cal position alongside the rock shaft.

In operation, when the floor is moved,

axially, it slides on the bracket at the free edgethereof, and on the barrel, the bracket remaining stationary.

In order to reduce the friction between the bracket and the floor to a minimum, the margin only of the door rests upon the bracket and the intermediate part of the bracket is spaced apart from the floor. This spacing is effected by means of a strip of sheet metal 27 on the lower side of the margin of the fioor.

In Fig. 5, another form of my trap door is shown, in which the bracket 28 is double,

that is, composed of parallel arms each having bearings 29 on the hinge barrel, the arms being connected at their free ends by a'bar 30 having an undercut channel which receives the free edge of the floor of the trap. door. rests on the ledge corresponding to the ledge 16, and the floor rests in the channel of the bar throughout the greater part of l the length of the floor instead of on the ledge. The operation of the door shown in Fig. 5, is the same as that shown in the other figures.-

' WVha't I claim is 1. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a floor, a hinge memher, and a bracket fixed to the hinge member and underlying the floor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member and operable to slide axially of said member, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a floor, a hinge member, and a bracket fixed to the hinge member and underlying the floor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member to slide axially of the latter,

7 end slidably interlocking with the free edge of the floor, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

3. A hinged trap door for railway car The bar 30 normally platforms comprising a floor, a hinge member, and a bracket fixed to the hinge member and underlying the fioor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member to slide axially of the latter, and the bracket having means at its free end extending around the margin at the free edge of the floor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a floor, a hinge member, and a bracket fixed to the hinge member and underlying the floor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member to slide axially of the latter, and the bracket having an undercut channel at its free end in which the floor slides, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a floor, a hinge member and a bracket fixed to the hinge member and underlying the floor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member to slide axially of the latter, and the bracket having means at its free end slidably interlocking with the free edge of the floor; in combination with alatch coacting with the free end of the bracket, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a floor, a hinge member and a bracket mounted on the hinge member and underlying the floor, the floor being slidably mounted on the bracket and the hinge member, and the bracket having an undercut channel at its free end in which the floor slides; in combination with a latch for holding the door in closed position, the latch coacting with the free end of the bracket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprislng a barrel, a bracket fixed to the barrel, and a floor slidably mounted on the barrel and the bracket, the floor and the bracket having sliding interlocking engagement, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a barrel by means of which the door is hinged to the platform, a bracket fixed to the barrel at one end, and being provided with an undercut channel at its free end, a floor slidably mounted on the bracket and having hearings on the barrel and having the margin at the free edge thereof slidable in the said undercut channel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A hinged trap door for railway car platforms comprising a barrel by means of which the door is hinged in position, a floor slidable axially on the barrel, and means fixed t0 the barrel for supporting the floor,

1,24s,see

the floor having hangers formed with circular bearing openings slidably fitting the barrel, and the hangers being s lit on one side, substantially as and for t e purpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 23 day of Feby., 1915.

EDWARD F. CHAFFEE. Witnesses:

S. DAVIS, CHAS. H. YOUNG.

tomes at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissiloner of Emerita,

Washington, 1D. 0. 

